Method and apparatus for rectifying lubricating oil



June 11, 1929. CZARNY ET AL 1,717,096

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECT IFYING LUBRICATING OIL Fil ed July 6,1927 2Sheets-Sheet 1 k 3F- ILTER VHT l EVAPORATIHG I UNIT f0 QM W? A 74 r /6 PUMP June 11, 1929.

M. CZARNY EI'AL 1,717,096

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING LUBRICATING OIL Filed July 6, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 1 NTORfi 6% AZ; M

ATI'ORNEYS Patented June 11,1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF cE,

MARTIN CZARNY, OI ROSELLE, AND FRANK CONRAD FBOLANDER, OF ELIZABETH,

NEW JERSEY. i

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING LUBRIGATING OIL.

Application filed July 6,

This invention relates to oil rectifying systems and is concernedparticularly with an apparatus which will maintain the quality of lubricating oil constant during the operation 5 of an engine, and especially an internal combustion engine. It is a matter of common knowledge that during the operation of an into 11511 combustion engine on relatively volatile hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline, some of the fuel leaks past the piston rings and becomes mixed with the lubricant in the crank case. The lubricating oil is thus diluted and deteriorated, since the fuel cuts the lubricant and decreases its lubricating qualities. Likewise, water is formed in the engine and is carried in with the air, so that the lubricating oil is further diluted, and as the water has no 1ubricating qualities, it detracts from the volume of necessary lubricant, resulting in increased wearing of the bearings and other moving parts. After some use, the lubricating oil also contains solidmatter such as hard and soft carbon particles resulting from im-. perfect combustion, dust and grit carried in by the air, particles of metal caused by wear, and the like. i

In order to eliminate excessive wearing of the moving parts of the engine due to imperfect or incomplete lubrication, and to obtain a smoother operation andbetter operat ing efficiency, it has been the practice heretofore to drain the crank-case of the engine at certain intervals and refill it with clean lubricating oil. Frequently, however, this renewing of the lubricant is overlooked and damage to the engine, as well as inefiicient operation, results. Furthermore, the renewal of the lubricant, if done as often as necessary, is expensive and wasteful, since the lubricating value of the discarded oil remains unchanged if the diluents and other liquid and solid foreign materials are removed therefrom.

It is the principal object of this invention to providean apparatus for maintaining the quality of the lubricating oil in an internal combustion engine constant by removing therefrom the various diluents and solid impurities, without making it necessary to stop the engine zit-frequent intervals to replenish,

renew or refine the lubricating oil. -Another object of this invention is to provide an oil rectifying system which is automatic, inexpensive, eflicient and fool-proof.

In practising this invention, the rectifying 1927. Serial No. 203,740.

means is inserted in the lubricating oil circulating system, such as that employed in an automobile, Where the oil is removed from the crank-case and circulated by an oil pump to be subsequently returned to the crank-case. The rectifier of the invention removes the no solid foreign materials by filtration and the l quid diluents by capillary separation, and i then these diluents, after being removed from the lubricating oil, are evaporated.

In one preferred form of apparatus, the deteriorated lubricant is initially passed through a suitable filter, which also passes the liquid diluents such as gasoline and water, while the solid particles of carbon, metal, dirt, grit and the like, are collected in a sump to be subsequently removed. The diluents flow with the filtered lubricating oil into contact witha capillary column such as a fibrous wick, which elevates the liquids to a varying degree according to their several capillary activities. For example, the gasoline rises first, the water next,'and the oil last, but the wick is confinedor constricted at an elevated point in such a manner that only the gasoline and water can pass this point, while the mg lig ble amount of oil which has risen to this point is restrained against passing. The oil does not clog the wick because it is thinned by the gasoline which is a solvent of the oil. The area of the wick beyond the constricted point v is considerably increased so that a large evaporating surface is exposed to a natural circulation of air through a form of chimney, this air accordingly removing the gasoline and water by evaporation. Inasmuch as the volumeof gasoline contained in the lubricating oil under ordinary conditions exceeds the volume of water, and as gasoline has a higher factor of evaporation than water, the evaporation of both takes place at the proper rate to compensate for the difference in volume.

.It will be seen, therefore, that since the apparatus is simple and has no moving parts, it will not get out of order, and performs its function without using additional power or requiring other connections than those commonly used in lubricating oil circulating systems such as those used on most forms of internal combustion engines.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which ,Figure 1 is diagrammatic view, showing the application of the oil rectifying system of this invention as applied to an internal combustion engine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a vertical section of the filtering and evaporating units; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are modifications of the filtering and evaporating apparatus combined in one unit. 1

In the drawings numeral 10 designates an internal combustion engine from the crank case 11 of which the lubricating oil is circulated to the various moving parts of the engine by means of an oil pump 12 in the customary manner. The oil is forced by pump 12 through pipe 13 into oil filter 14 from. which it is transferred to the evaporating unit 15 by pipe 16 and from evaporating unit 15, it is returned to the engine by Way of pipe 17.

Referring to Fig. 2, the oil filter 14 comprises a sheet metal container 18 provided with a cover 19, having inlet and outlet openings 20 and 21 respectively, to which pipes '13 and 16 are respectively connected. The interior of cover 19 is-provided with a collar 22 and a central depending rod 23 which hold the oil filter bag 24. This bag 24 preferably consist of two layers 'Of cloth, the outsidelayerbeingofcomparatively coarse weave while the inner layer is of a finer weave and has a fine hair-like nap on its outer surface which contacts with the coarse outer clotln, The nap on the outside of the inner cloth is matted against its own surface by the tightly stretched outer cloth, thus forming a very line screen or filter. The open end of the filter bag 24 is held in position on collar 22 by means of a fiat rin 25 of metal or the like. In order to provide a large filter surface to the bag so as to contain it in the small space within the confines of container 18, a number of alternate large and small rings 26 and 27, respectively, are employed in such a way that the bag has a bellows-like appearance. A disc 28 mounted on the lower end of rod 23 co-acts with the rod to hold the surface of the filter cloth tautly between the large and small rings.

The lower portion or cup 29 of the evaporating unit 15 is connected to the outlet 21 of the filter unit 14 by means of pipe 16 so as to provide a reservoir and sump 30 for the reception of the oil transferred from the filter "unit 14. The open end of cup 29 is provided with a tube 31 while a vertical rod 32 is mounted in the bottom of the cup 29. In the space between rod 32 and the inside of tube 31 is the vertical wick 33 which is preferably made of absorbent cotton cloth and which extends from a point near the bottom of sump 30 to over the top end of tube 31. The upper end of wick 33 is slit radially so as to provide a large evaporating surface which is contained in the space formed by the baflie collar 34 mounted on tube 31 and the battle cover 35. A knob 36 is mounted on the tube end of rod 32 and is shaped so as to compress the wick 33 against the outer edge of tube 31 so that the wick is constricted or necked in at a point between the vertical portion thereof and the evaporating surface. The outer edges of nut 36 are formed so as to cover the top edge of battle cover 35 but ballle cover 35 is out of contact with nut 36 and is also spaced from collar 34 so that a free circulation of air is permitted through the space between battle cover 35 and the inner portion of nut 36. This chimney-like construction permits a free circulation of the air around the evaporating surfaces of wick 33, whereby the liquids elevated thereby are evaporated. The discharge of the evaporating unit takes place through pipe 17 connected to sump cup 29, whereby the cleaned oil is returned to the engine.

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of rectifying unit in which the oil filter and evaporator are combined into a single unit. In this modification the cover 19 of container 18 is provided with a central opening in which is mounted tube 31". The interior of tube 31 connnunicates with the interior of the filter bag 24 by mcans'of a series of holes 37 provided near the bottom of the tube. tom of tube 31 is closed by a plug 38 which holds the bottom of filter bag 24 and also carries rod 32, the upperend of which is provided with the nut 36. The wick 33 extends to holes 37 while the enlarged upper end thereof lies in the space formed between the top of cover 19 and baflle cover 39. This baffle cover is shapedso as to provide free circulation of air through the space occupied by the evaporating end of wick 33. In this man- The botunit are combined.

- Fig. 4 shows an arrangement which is similar to that shown in Fig. 3 except that the wick 33 is considerably shortened so as to extend only a slight distance into the interior of container 18. The rod 32 is supported by the collar 22 of cover 19 while the evaporating end of wick 33' is enclosed by the same bafiie cover 39 as isillustrated in Fig. 3. In this way a considerable length of the wick is eliminated and the tube which encloses the wick is replaced by a short collar 40.

In operation, the oil may be pumped through the oil rectifying system of this invention in the manner illustrated by Figure 1. i. e., in connection with an internal combustion engine. The impure oil enters the filspace provided at the bottom of the coi'ltainer 18 while the oil diluted by water and gasoline will filter through the two layers Comprising the filter bag 24. In'this way, thesoiid foreign materials are removed by filtration.

The filtered mixture of oil. water and gasoline will then pass out by way of opening 21 andpipe 16 into the sump'cup 29-01 the evap orating'unit. In this sump cup. the division of the liquid materials according to their densities will take place. to a large. extent; For example, the water being heavier will collect at the bottom of the sump, the oil as the next layer, a mixture of gasoline and oil as the third layer and a substantially undiluted gasoline as the fourth layer. Inasmuch, as the lower portion of the wick 33 extends substantially to the bottom of the sump space 30. it will absorb the water as well as the gasoline and oil. The wick material has a'greater capillary atliuity for the gasoline, less capillary atlinity for water and least capillary atlinity for oil, although all three of these liquids will rise substantiallyto the top of'the wick. The oil does not clog the wick because itis thinned by the gasoline which is a solvent of the-oil. However. toward thetop of the wick the quantity of the oil is negligible while the gasoline. and water are in greater quantity.: Accordinglythere' are two forces which l'LIItl't-O' raise the liquids to the top of 'the wick, the first being the pressure caused by the pump '12 in forcing .the lubricant through the system and the second force being thatof eapillary action which raises the liquids out of sump space 30. The constricted or neckedin portion of the wick at the top of tube 31 causedby the pressure oi the wedge of knob 36 against the upper edgeof tube prevents the passage of'the oil but permits the gasoline and waterto seep through into the spread-apart end of the wick where they are evaporated-by the air'passmg under the edge' of battle cover 35 through the chamber formed thereby and out over the top edge thereof.

'Inasmuch as this evaporating unit usually. mounted in a region of warm air. such as beneath the engine hood of an automobile, the warm air circulation will promote the craporation of the gasoline and water; As usually occurs. the amount of gasoline c mtained in the lubricating oil is greater than the amount of water contained thereby but in-. asmuch as gasoline is more rapidlvfraisedby the wick 3". due to its greatercapillary activity. and as it evaporates ata greater rate than water, the excess volume of gasoline over the volumeof .water will be compensated for.

This action leaves nothin but the pure lubricating oil whi h accordingly passes'out by way of pi pc 17 and is 1"turned.to the engine in the usual, way. I

'Ihemodificationillustrated in Fig. 3 com bines the filtering unit and the evaporating unit by introducing the wick column into the center ot the litter bag. l

.which passes of oil, gasoline and water through the pores of filter b ag'24 surrounds m 7 tube 3157 In the manner ldcSeribed;in"-c0nnection with Fig.2, wick 33"abso'rbsall three 76* of the liquid constituents but has greatercapillary affinity for gasoline, less capillary atlinity for water and least; ,"apillary 'atlinity for heavy oil. Thelga'tsoli'ne"riscsfat such a rate as to reach thetop ofitltew'vlck 755 before the water while the water ,risesbe f fore the partly dilutedoilri'lly thisac'tiou 4 the higher in the wick that the oil rises, the more dilutedit will bebythe gasoline and water. until alliof the dil'uents are"entirely 80 eliminated by evaporation in the evaporation f chamber formed by baffle "cot er 39. This will leave only pure oil wli'ch is unable to 7 pass the compressed portion of the wick at the top of tube 31'. The purified ,lubricatmust come into contact wi tltftlie loweif'feiid: L i

of wick 3 before it can'pass out bv'w'ayof" pipe 17. In this way, the wick 33'having" a greater allinity for gasoline and "water loo than for the oil. removes'the gasoline and vater 't'romthe oil. As described, theiieckedin portion of the wick'prevents the 011 an}, der pressure from passing out intothe evap orator portion of the wick while thegasolineand water are evaporated.

Among-the tests which have been": inadeof the new system of reetifylng nnpure lubrieating oils; the end of a. dry cotton wickiwas" immersed in pure lubricating oil. Upon this layer of lubricating oilqwei'c poured [,tlean water and clear gasoline and after'a short time the wick was found to contain gaso' j line and water in additionto the oil. Later the gasoline was in evidence at the frce'end of the wick and was allowed to evaporate until entirely dissipated when water took its place and the'same. occurrence took place A ft'er the water had evaporated, 1t was found c that nothing butt-he pure oil remained in 120,

the container and in the wick. So long as 1 the oil contains gasoline and water, the lubricating oil does notrise'as far as the-free end of the wick for the reason that the ca i illafry activities :of the gasoline and" water exceed that of lubrieating'oil and reach the free end of the wick before the oil. 1By"em-- i -ploying the apparatus of this' -invention an der the pressure supplied by the oil pump ofan automobile, e. g.,jit -w'a"s 'found'that thei'rectification' of -the oiltakes'plaee at a very, rapid rate and-that theresidueg-of lu- 'bri'cating.--oil. is very pure and clear so that thejsa-me lubricating etfccftfas new oil. ii-\ccordingly, it' will be 'scen-that the presfiend,veryclticient oil rectifyingsystem which can" be. installed in anjautomobile or other apparatus employing circulating lubricating oilwith little costand no modification of the fope-ratingparts ofithe engine. In an auto- "tifying apparatus of; this invention inthe lulbricati'ng oil supply or return lineand the apparatus mayjbe conveniently mounted on the r *arotthedash of the automobile in a position similar to that oradjacent to that occupied bythe vacuum tank. The filtering aogunit otthercctifying apparatus is prefgcrably; made of thin sheet metal andis very ineapensiveso that f the sump space thereof "1 ,l.iecon1cs clogged with a large aceun'mlation ot fm'eigirliiattei', suchas grit, carbon paremotied and replaced by anew "filter unit thout incurringc any; great OXDCllSC or ditii- Accordingly, by e riployingthe recifvm stem of! this. invention, a: considrable saving m the operation of ttllytllltO- lo blleiOl the likei'naylbe 'etl'ected,umasmuch :as the lubr catmg Oil 15 always pure and conpartslubricated thereby occurs Further- .rie '|nore,-1t w1ll be unnecessary to drain the crankcase frequently'and replace the impure I 1 oil .by l'resh oil since by 'using the new system, the oil .is always fresh and clean. r 1 While several preferredembodiments, of r-io' the: invention havefbeen illustrated and deiinrehtion is not limitedfthereby,but is susceptible' of; many changesin form, arrangement and use;- For OXtllllPlQpll) might be 1 usedwith equal facility on other apparatus than'on an internal combustionengine,and .iseapable of use vunder any. conditions for 'pilril'ying lubrieatingfoils, whether used or ,not, which contain foreign liquids having '50 greater capillary activity than the oil itself. "It is also to be understmulthat the term wick as used herein con'iprehends all forms of capillary bodies or devices having connected or continuous pores. passages or the .4 like, in which liquids mayelevate themselves fby their own capillary activities; a

' 9 "W'oclaimfl l. ,A rectifier for usedluln'icating oil containing liquid diluents, adapted for use in no connection with an internal combustion engme, eo'mprlsmga, container for the Oil and abstracting the liquid diluents from} the oil ent invention, provides an extremely simple Iinobile, it is onlynec'essary to insert the-rec iiflcs yinetal particlcs'and-the like, it may be;

sequelntlyno es'cessivewea'ringof the moving I scribed herein, it is to be understood that the a capillary wick inserted in the container for eating oil containing'liquid diluents, adapted for. use in connection with-an nternalcombustionengine, comprising a. capillary wick inserted in the oilfor abstracting the liquid diluents from the oil, and means f0l':70.

evaporating these diluents from the wick.

3. A i'ccti tier for used-lubricating oil comprising a container for the oil, adapted for use in connection with an intcrnalcombustion engine, a e'apillarywick for abstracting thecontained liquid diluents ,from the oil, means forintroducing the usedioilto'the lower portion of the wick, and means for evaporating the diluents from the top of the wick. I

l. A rectifier for used lubricating 0il.con-' taining liquid impurities, adapted for use in connection with an internal combustion engine, comprising a container for the oil, a I wick inserted in oil in the containers for abstract'ing the liquid impurities therefrom by capillary action, the upper portion of thewiek being of relatively large surfacdarea and extending into a container for receiving the liquid impurities from the wick and evaporating the same, t Y

5. A rectifier for used lubricating oil conv taining foreign liquids, adapted for use in connection with an internal combustion engine, comprising a wick for abstracting the liquids by capillary action, and aconstrietion in said wick for preventing the passage of the oil. a

(i. A rectifier for used lubricating oil containing liquid diluents. adapted for usein connection with an internal combustion engine. comprising a wick inserted in the'oil for abstracting the diluents by capillary action, and means forming a constriction in saidwiek for preventing the passage of oil therethrough.

7. A rectifier for used lubricating oil containing liquid iinpurities. comprising a closed container for the oil,- oil intake and outlet pipes communicating with the interior of said container, a tubular member inserted through the wall of said container, :1 wick in said tubehaving a portion extending into said container for abstracting the liquid impurities therefrom by capillary action, said wick terminating in an enlarged portion lying outside of said tube for receiving the liquid impurities and evaporating the same.- I

c 8. A reetilier for used lubricating oil containing liquid impurities, comprising a closed container, for the oil, oil 'intakeand outlet pipes communicating with the interior of said container, a tubular member inserted through the wall of said container, a rod inserted through said member into the container, a wick mounted upon said rod and having a portion extemling' into the container for abstracting the liquid impurities therefrom by-capillary action, said wick having an exposed portion outside of said tube for rcceiving the liquid impurities from the immersed portion, and a collar mounted upon sai d rod for compressing saidwick between i't and said member whereby a constriction is formed in said Wick.

,9: In an oil rectifying apparatus for internal combustion engines having a lubricating oil circulating 's'ysem, the combination of a container introduced in said system for re ceiving at least part of the oil. circulated thereby, an evaporator mounted with said -container, and a wick inserted in the oil in the container and extending into saidevaporator,

said wick being adapted to abstract the liquid impurities deposited in the lubricating oildur ng operation of the engine and transfer saidliquid'impurities to said evaporator.

10. The method of rectifying used lubrieating oil'containing liquid impurities-adapt edfor use in connection with an internal combustion engine, which consists in abstracting the liquid impurities from the oil by-capil lary action.

11. .The method of rectifying used "lubrieating oil, adapted for use in connection with an internal combustlon engine, which 'C'OIISLStS tures.

MARTIN CZARNY. 1

in selectively abstracting diluents by utilizing their greater capillary action.

12. The method of rectifying used lubricating oil containing liquid diluents, adapted for use in connection with an internal combustion engine, which consists in continuously supplying "the oil and abstracting the diluents from the oil by capillary action.

13. The method of rectifying used lubricating oil containing liquid diluents, adapted for use in connection with'an internal combustion engine, which consists in continuous- 1y removing the diluentsfrom the oil by cap- FRANK CONRAD FROLANDER; 

